Despite the fact that we had to push our baby strollers down a street lined with prostitutes to get to the theater, one of the moms still asked the woman at the ticket counter if she could get a job there.

Alleke liked the puppet show where the kids had to look for the moon under the pillows they were sitting on, and then got invited to the moon’s birthday party where they got to hollar the Happy Birthday Song. As we were walking out, Alleke was hanging on my arm and saying, “Please, please, please can we see another one.”

I said no because the puppet show was still expensive. All four of us had to pay to see the play, even Teo who is one. Plus, I’ve discovered all kinds of activities for kids on the weekends that don’t cost money, and I can’t justify the cost when money is tight.

Still, I had to bring my kids to this ex-whore house with baby strollers parked out front. Of course the kids don’t know anything about the history behind those bedrooms—and trust me, I don’t want them to for a very long time—but I still wanted them to be a part of it. I wanted them to bring their innocence and laughter into this place because after all, I’m a sucker for hope. I suppose all these years following Jesus have led me to believe that even in the darkest places, there is always Hope. Plants have a way of growing out of the cracks in the sidewalk, if you know what I mean.